Olly Murphy 2026 Cheltenham Festival stable tour
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Mon 2 Mar 2026
By Graham Clark
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Olly Murphy has already enjoyed a fine season to date, but securing a breakthrough Cheltenham Festival victory would transform a good campaign into a great one.
With more than £1.4 million already banked in prize money and over 100 winners on the board the Wilmcote handler can be satisfied with his achievements so far this term.
But one look at his CV, which includes on it Grade One wins and a host of other notable prizes, and you will see a victory at the Festival is a glaring omission from it.
Hopes had been high that Indeevar Blue could have been the one to change that statistic in the BetMGM Cup, however a recent setback has ruled him out of the race.
But, despite being dealt that hammer blow, Murphy will still be well represented at the meeting with a team of horses that have the potential to out run their odds and give him that sought after success he craves.
Murphy said: “‘I’ve a team of horses going there where realistically half-a-dozen of them are hopefully going to have realistic each-way chances.
“I’ve got no real short ones for any of the races, so we will need a bit of luck, however at the same time I could see a few of them going there and running well.
“Unfortunatly, Indeevar Blue will miss the meeting as he has not been one hundred percent for a few days and time is running out.
“It is really frustrating as the BetMGM Cup had been the plan since he won at Aintree on Boxing Day.
“He was one of my best hopes of the week, but that is racing and we will dust ourselves down and go again.
“I’m potentially on course for my best ever season to date thus far and it would just be nice to go into these spring festivals with some chances as there is a lot of prizemoney to be won at them.
“I’m looking forward to Cheltenham, albeit that I haven’t got a single figure price short one for any of the races, but you have to be realistic as there is no point running them unless they have realistic chances.”
Below, Murphy runs through his top team for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival. If you fancy any of his contenders, you may also want to check out Racing TV's Cheltenham betting offers.
“If he gets in I think he is one of my better each-way chances of the Festival." - Olly Murphy on The Bluesman
ACT OF AUTHORITY
Race: Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.
“He has come back down to a realistic mark and is only a pound above the mark when he finished second in the race last year.
“I might pop a set of cheekpieces on him. I don’t think the race looks as competitive as last year, but I’m sure there are a sneaky one or two in there.
“He loves the place and he loves decent ground. I think he will run respectably.
“I wanted to train him for a Pertemps to tell you the truth, but he didn’t stay three miles first time out at Newbury, so we have come back here.”
BOOSTER BOB
Race: Sun Racing Plate Handicap Chase or Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase.
Booster Bob (right) has some strong handicap form next to his name (Pic: Focusonracing)
“I’d say Booster Bob will run in the Plate. He is a bit of an enigma as when he is good, he is good, but when he is bad he is bad.
“I think if he is on a going day off his mark now I don’t see any reason why he couldn’t run well.
“I think we will try and ride him good and forward over the Plate trip the next day, and he stayed the two miles and six furlongs when he won the Sir Peter O’Sullevan at Newbury.
“These handicappers all take it in turns, but I believe there is still a nice race in him.
“He ran okay there on Trials Day, but he came back with ulcers and we have treated them.
“On a going day, and as far as twenty runner handicaps go, he has got an each-way chance.
“He is very good fresh, and that is important to him.”
IKARAK
Race: Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle.
“He is off a career high mark now, but he stays well. His best form is left handed and he won well on his last start at Ayr.
“He hasn’t got loads up his sleeve, but we know he stays well. If he gets into a good rhythm, which is a big thing for him, then he would have a bit of a squeak.”
LINELEE KING
Race: Princess Royal Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase.
“He bolted up in a point-to-point first time out this season and beat a horse of Kelly Morgan’s (Music Drive) that is much shorter in the race than him, which I can’t understand why.
“He is not a bad horse on his day. He is fresh and he will be dropped in and ridden to run well. He has an outside chance at a massive price.”
RAMBO T
Race: BetMGM Cup.
“He likes big fields, but he probably hasn’t got enough up his sleeve as he is ultra consistent. He will run respectably and he has been a real fun horse for his connections.
“He had a good start to the season winning the Silver Trophy down at Chepstow. He could quite easily finish in the first six or eight.”
RESPLENDENT GREY
Race: Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup or Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase.
“Hopefully we will be running Resplendent Grey in the Ultima. His owner is very keen to run in the Gold Cup and we have got to have another conversation before confirmations.
“He will be confirmed for the Ultima and he will be confirmed for the Gold Cup, I would imagine, but we will have a conversation before that.
“I think he has got a realistic each-way chance in the Ultima, where he could run respectably in a Gold Cup and finish eighth.
“I think there will be a lot of runners in the Gold Cup this year and it is wide open. Could he be a Gold Cup horse moving forward, potentially if he keeps improving.
“He is rated in the low one hundred and fifties so he would only have to improve half-a-stone, but he is a horse that, if he is on his A game, could run well in an Ultima.
“The Coral Gold Cup was his main early target, but the race was over before it even started as he missed the break and he was on the backfoot from the moment he jumped off.
“He then ran an absolute cracker at Windsor in the Fleur de Lys behind Protektorat, and he gave him something to think about that day.
“He was giving Protektorat weight that day so I thought it was a very good run under what were not his optimum conditions of two miles and six furlongs around a sharp track.
“I’m looking forward to running him in an Ultima, but I’m sure if he went for a Gold Cup he would run respectably.
“Next season he will be starting off in a Charlie Hall and going from there. He is a very good horse on his day, but we have just got to catch him right.”
STICKTOTHEPLAN
Race: William Hill County Handicap Hurdle.
“He will run in the County Hurdle if it continues to dry out. This race has been on the back of mind for him for a while. He has been freshened up and he has had a wind operation.
“He was good at Galway, then won the Persian War and then ran well in another Grade Two at Haydock Park where it was just a bit sharp for him.
“He was over the top at Ascot at Christmas and we have given him a break since then.
“I’m not saying he is going to win a County Hurdle, but he will have a lot more behind him than in front of him. In a strongly run race I can see him running well.
“He stays well and that track will suit him as there is a lot of time from the second last until the last. I think he can run well.”
THE BLUESMAN
Race: Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.
“If he gets in I think he is one of my better each-way chances of the Festival. He is only the price he is because he looks like he has a chance of not getting in.
“He won well the last day up at Haydock Park and I’m looking forward to running him. I think a strongly run handicap like this will suit him well. Hopefully he is not a bad mark still.
“He has surprised me really. I thought he would win the first day as I thought he was well-handicapped and he was probably unlucky not to win the next day.
“He won well putting up a career best last time out. He is full of confidence, and touchwood he is healthy. If he gets a nice clear round he has got an each-way chance.”
UBATUBA
Race: Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle or Turners Novices Hurdle.
Watch what Olly Murphy had to say following Ubatuba's victory at Leicester
“He will run in the Albert Bartlett and he is in very good form. He ran a cracker Haydock Park in the Prestige. I think he stays very well, and if he gets into a nice rhythm, it wouldn’t surprise me, at a big price, if he ran well.
“He stays very well and he is a very unassuming horse. He has got a bit of match experience with his few point-to-point runs.
“I thought he was very impressive first time out at Leicester. If a horse can motor from the second last at Leicester to the winning line on that proper deep winter ground I often find they have plenty of ability.
“He is a proper stayer now that could be a nice staying novice chaser for next season.”
WADE OUT
Race: Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase or National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase.
“The plan is to run Wade Out in the National Hunt Chase. He is in really good form and he has been trained for the race ever since November.
“He is going be fitted with a set of cheekpieces. He will stay well and I think drying ground will help him as that will help his jumping.
“If he can go around in a half respectable manner and be in touch at the top of the hill I don’t think you will see a horse come home stronger all week.
“I think Windsor will have done him good as that would have sharpened as it would have got him match sharp. He ended up having to use up a lot of his energy three-quarters of the way through the race then his run petered out.
“I think a bit nicer ground will help him out as he jumped best when he beat Wendigo first time out at Worcester. He didn’t miss a beat that day.
“We will have him fresh and this has long been the plan.”
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